Family holiday recommendations

[Ontheflipside]

Hi everyone, hoping for some help and ideas please. My husband and I are planning on taking our daughter abroad in June this year. She will be 9 months old and we would like to go to Europe, preferably Spain or Greece.

We are both really outdoorsy and have never done a package holiday, typically we travel to a couple of places within a region, staying at different hotels. We would be going for a week to 10 days.

I'm looking for your experiences on travelling with a baby this age and whether we need to change our holiday style to all inclusive etc? For ease, and also enjoyment for baby. Additionally, if there are any other places you've been with a baby this age that weren't Spain or Greece but would recommend would love to hear that too.

Any help or advice appreciated.

With a baby I would always go villa with a heated pool. We like puerto del carmen in lanzarote but only ever stay in the los mojones area (we’ve stayed in a few villas on the same 2 streets). It’s near a Lidl, there is a sheltered beach (we don’t go to the ‘strip’ of beach and bars as we usually eat on the harbour. I was sceptical when we went as I assumed lanzagrotty but we’ve been back 4 times as it’s so easy. My husband cycles and we both swim/snorkel. AI with a baby sounds like hell on earth to me. With a bills you can have a monitor snd have a glass of wine in the evening, you can pop in out of the midday sun or sunbathe while they nap 5m away.

www.vrbo.com/en-gb/p884288?preferlocale=true&vgdc=HAUK

Not sure what’s up with mumsnet but this is our favourite and I’m sure you could get a one bed nearby. It’s a steep walk up the hill but we’ve taken our buggy a few times and it’s fine-I just walk very slowly!

We did AI with a baby and toddler in Feb 2020 and it was really great. The buffet was lovely for my picky eater, there was children's entertainment and we spent the days between the hotel pool and the beach. Pre kids we always did self catering and restaurants. I find self catering with little children to be not much of a holiday, same job different kitchen (with less stuff).
That said, since covid I wouldn't consider going to a resort right now in case I got covid - having to isolate in a hotel room with a small child would be hell on earth. At least in a villa you would have outside space, maybe a pool, the ability to put the kids to bed and have some adult time...

Sardinia - lovely shallow warm seas for a paddle. Nice food.